Policy Taken Out By Wife, Slay Trial Told

Newcastle Herald

Thursday April 7, 2005

By JASON GORDON

A WOMAN went shopping for a high-performance car and took out a life insurance policy on her husband only weeks before he was shot dead in the couple's Muswellbrook lounge room, Newcastle Supreme Court was told yesterday.

Michelle Willard, 38, has pleaded not guilty to murdering husband Michael William Willard, 38, on February 22, 2003.

In his opening address to the jury yesterday, Crown prosecutor Wayne Creasey said the Crown intended to prove that while "it was not the accused who fired the shot", Willard was "driven by greed and was party to what is known as a joint criminal enterprise".

Mr Creasey alleged Willard conspired with a juvenile, who can be identified only as TJ, and neighbour Danielle Wilkinson, to murder her husband.

Willard cried and the jury of eight women and four men sat stony-faced when they were shown a graphic videotape of the death scene.

The video showed close-up images of Mr Willard's blood-splattered face and a gunshot wound to his forehead.

The jury heard recordings of two phone calls made by Willard to 000.

In those, she said her home had been broken into and she had been woken by a loud bang about 1.45am that day.

Willard was arrested on March 3, 2003, and charged in connection with the death.

In his opening address to the jury, Mr Creasey said Willard had taken out two life insurance policies in the weeks before her husband's death.

In the first, she is alleged to have insured herself and her husband against accidental death for $35,000.

In the second, she made contact with a representative from Westpac and later took out a $200,000 life insurance policy for herself and her husband.

Mr Creasey said Willard had made inquiries about her husband's superannuation in the weeks before his death, had test-driven a $40,000 Holden Commodore SS and spoken to a real estate agent about buying a house.

Mr Willard had been aware of these activities.

In Willard's conversation with the Westpac insurance agent, Mr Creasey alleged that the following exchange took place.

Agent: "OK, so you know that this only covers you if you die from accidental causes?"

Willard: "What is that?"

Agent: "Car crash, plane crash, drowning, falling down, electrocution . . . "

Willard: "Shot, killed?"

Agent: "Yes, shot, killed."

Willard: "Oh, that's horrible."

Mr Creasey told the jury that the evidence he intended to produce was "purely circumstantial".

"But when you put all the evidence together, the compelling inference would be that the accused was party to this joint criminal enterprise to murder her husband," the Crown prosecutor said.

The trial, which is expected to last four weeks, heard evidence from Michael Willard's, father Robert, his mother, Shirley, several neighbours and police yesterday.

The hearing is due to resume today.

MICHELLE WILLARD?S 000 CALLS

1.48AM, FEBRUARY 22, 2003, TO AMBULANCE EMERGENCY

OPERATOR: Ambulance Emergency, what suburb?

MICHELLE WILLARD: Ammm, Muswellbrook.

OP: What?s the address we need to go to?

MW: Oooh, 12 Hillview Avenue.

OP: And what?s the problem?

MW: Aam, ooh, I am, I don?t know,

somebody tried to break into

the house and they?ve hurt my

husband.

OP: You said someone tried to

break into your house?

MW: I heard a noise. I got up

and I heard this loud thing and

I could smell something, and,

and my, things all over the

benches and I, I can?t wake

my husband.

OP: So he?s, he?s bleeding

is he?

MW: Yes, I ...

OP: OK, is the person still in the

house?

MW: No.

OP: You can?t wake your husband

up?

MW: No, no, please help me.

OP: Where is he bleeding from?

MW: The head.

OP: From the head?

MW: Yes, (heavy breathing).

OP: What is your name?

MW: Michelle.

OP: Michelle, we?re going to get them

on the way; we?ll also let the

police know.

MW: Please get them

here now.

OP: Yes.

MW: Thank

you.

OP: OK, bye

bye.

MW: Bye

1.55AM, FEBRUARY 22, 2003, TO POLICE EMERGENCY

POLICE OPERATOR: Thank you for your patience, what can I do for you?

MICHELLE WILLARD: I need ... I?ve had a break-in and they?ve, they?ve done something to

my husband.

PO: What do you mean they?ve done something to your husband?

MW: I heard this bang, I don?t know. All my stuff from the house is ... he?s not

moving. Please, I need an ambulance.

PO: All right darlin?, stay with me, tell me your address.

MW: 12 Hillview Avenue, I just rang a couple of minutes ago.

PO: All right, hang on a sec ...

PO: Can you tell if your husband is breathing?

MW: No, I don?t think so, I ...

PO: Do you know CPR, love?

MW: Oh, I?m gonna be sick.

PO: Some sort of break-in has happened, love?

MW: Yes, yes, I think so. I, I, I heard a noise and I got up and heard this,

like, stuff being thrown on the ground and I heard this bang and a funny

smell.

PO: Is there anyone you can call on?

MW: No, please come quickly.

PO: Yes, I?m getting the ambulance to you directly.

MW: Oh, oh, I want the police.

PO: Yeah, police will be there directly, I just want you to stay on the phone.

PO: Where is your husband now?

MW: On the lounge.

PO: Does he have any medical condition?

MW: Diabetes.

PO: All right, lovely. OK, tell me about the bang you heard.

MW: It was loud; I never heard it before.

PO: OK, what did you hear, darlin??

MW: Just a loud bang.

PO: Look, look, I really need you to calm down.

PO: OK, now your husband?s where?

MW: On the lounge. He sleeps on the lounge because he

snores. He?s in the fire brigade.

PO: Is he?

MW: He left the door unlocked because we had a storm

and he thought he would be called out.

PO: (Noise in the background ... ) Who?s that, is that the

police?

MW: Yes.

PO: OK, love.

* Edited extracts of phone conversations between

Michelle Willard and emergency services

© 2005 Newcastle Herald

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